She shoved Logan off of her, shocking Nik. “No.” She stood, fire literally in her eyes. “We need her dead.” Her viciousness was understandable if she thought the babies were in danger. “I won’t risk you two or the babies.” She tilted her head back and, before Nik could stop her, bellowed, “Kir!”
Kir raced into the living room, looking disheveled. It was obvious he’d been in the process of getting dressed, because his black tank top was still in his hand and his golden hair wasn’t brushed. “What?”
Jordan gestured toward Kir. “Tell him. Tell him why we need to kill my grandmother.”
Nik sighed. Jordan was near tears. “Calm down. We have no idea what Frederica is up to. This is mere speculation, remember?”
“I don’t care.” Jordan’s hands once more rested on her stomach. “Make her stop.”
“Jordan?” Kir stepped forward, his tank top tossed aside. “What happened?”
Logan stood and moved closer to Kir. As soon as their theory was explained to him, Kir might go ballistic. If he did, Logan was the one most likely to calm him down. Jordan was far too emotional to think rationally. She was close to giving birth, her hormones preparing her for what was to come. She already loved the two beings she cradled inside her. Killing Frederica would normally horrify her, but she was turning out to be a bigger mama bear than Logan.
Logan spoke softly, warily. “We think we’ve figured out why Sydney was taken, but you have to remember that it’s just a theory, nothing more.”
“Okay.” Kir glanced between Jordan and Logan. “Let me put my shirt on and you can tell me.” He yawned. “Nik, can you make me some coffee?”
Nik stood. “Of course.” Nik left the trio alone. He could use some coffee himself. He fixed three coffees and grabbed a can of Fanta from the fridge for Jordan. Until she was done breast feeding she wouldn’t be allowed caffeine. Instead, she’d given in to her cravings for anything pineapple, including a pineapple soda that Logan had shipped in just for her. Nik couldn’t understand it, but Jordan lived on the stuff.
He wondered if Toni would have strange food cravings as well should he ever get her pregnant. He smiled at the thought despite the grim topic he was returning to. Toni. Pregnant by him.
The vision was so substantial he almost fooled himself into thinking it was real.
He carried everything on a tray back into the living room, complete with creamer and sugar. He’d observed how Kir and Logan took their coffee but he preferred that they fix it themselves. No one wanted it thrown in their face that they’d been watched in quiet, intimate moments. Nik was the ultimate peeping Tom, whether he wanted to be or not.
Pointing that out to Toni was just icing on his cake of fun. The way she freaked when he whispered in her ear or his eyes reflected back at her in a mirror was priceless. For a big, bad homicide cop, she sure squealed like a little girl when startled.
“Nik?” Jordan held out her hand.
“Hmm?” He handed Jordan the pineapple soda. Yuk. He had no idea how she could drink that stuff.
“What’s with the creepy smile?” She opened her soda and took a sip, groaning happily. “Yum.”
Nik held back his shiver of disgust. “What creepy smile?”
“The one you walked in here with.” She took another sip before putting the bottle on the coffee table. Already she seemed more at ease. If pineapple soda did that, he’d make sure she could bathe in the stuff.
“Oh. I was thinking of Toni.” Nik fixed his coffee. “Did you explain things to Kir?”
“Yes, they did.” Kir’s hand drifted toward the pendant around his neck. Gungnir could shrink in size much like Mjolnir did, enabling its bearer to wear it as a pendant. “And I’m inclined to agree with Jordan. Killing Frederica looks very good right now.”
Damn it. So much for Kir being the voice of reason. It was up to Logan to calm the two down.
“Is that who we are? What we’ve become? We kill indiscriminately now?” Logan stared at Kir and Jordan, disappointment on his face. “Just like Odin?”
The other two stilled. “I’m not like him,” Kir murmured darkly. “Never say that.”
Logan’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed hard. “We don’t kill because of possibilities, Kir. That’s never been us. That’s the Old Man’s way.”
Kir glanced away, his jaw tight. He refused to look at Logan even when Logan stood in front of him.
Logan sighed. “I’ll be in my office if you need me, Nik.” He walked out of the room, his shoulders slumped. The Trickster was overflowing with sadness.
“You need to fix this,” Nik muttered. “This is exactly what she wants.”
Jordan jumped. “Free will.” She glanced at Nik. “Can free will alter whatever Frederica is trying to do?”
Nik blinked. Thank goodness for that brilliant mind of hers. It was finally working, overcoming the fear for her children in favor of rational thought. “I think the Fates would interfere, so yes. If she’s altering what is supposed to be, then the Norns would step in to prevent it. But still, free will is a concept the gods have struggled with for eons. Is there really free will when the Fates decide your destiny? Can you side-step it, like Odin is trying to do, or do your actions wind up creating the very storm you were trying to avoid?”
She rubbed at her face wearily. “Shit. Shit, shit, shit.” She stood. “I’ll go talk to him. I just…” She rubbed her stomach. “The thought of something, anything, taking my family from me makes me want to hurt someone.”
Kir put his arm around her shoulder. “We’ll talk to him together. He’s right. Killing her now would be wrong. But if she does anything to take either you or Logan from me I’ll kill her before either of you can blink.”
Nik believed him. There were clouds in Kir’s clear blue eyes, a dark storm that indicated Baldur’s rage had nearly overcome him. Those clouds were fading, but still.
Frederica had come very close to death that day. She’d do well to leave Kir alone as he wished.
Nik stood. “I’m heading back to my place. I need to figure out the best way to deal with Toni when she gets back.” He left his mug behind. He could make himself more coffee back at his place.
This hadn’t been a completely wasted visit. He now had a working theory on why Sydney had been taken. And there was only one place he could think of that would make a computer capable of hacking into Yggdrasil.
Svartalfaheim. It was time to take a trip home.
Chapter 3
Toni pulled up outside Frederica’s mansion, determined to find out where Sydney was being held. If she remembered correctly, there was some sort of office toward the back of the McMansion that Frederica lived in.
She made her way around the iron and brick fence, admiring the look of the home. Who knew she’d actually like a McMansion, but this one had a homey vibe she that had come about when Frederica had been on Grimm’s happy juice. Grimm had made Frederica docile, a happy little granny who adored her grandchildren and planted her garden every year. Hell, there was even an old swing set in the backyard that probably made Jordan cry every time she saw it.
Frederica would never meet her great-grandchildren. Toni was certain Kir and Logan would never allow Frederica within ten miles of the kids once they were born. They’d kill her ass if she tried.
She needed to prevent that by bringing Sydney home safe and sound, leaving Frederica to stew in her own asshole juices.
There was no way she could truly sneak onto Frederica’s land. The place was well fenced-in, with no place to climb over. There were no holes large enough for her to squeeze through. Going through the front wasn’t an option. Worse, there were cameras all over the place. They might even be aware by now that Toni was on the premises.
She bit her lip, thinking hard. During the battle in the condos, when that Jotun Skadi had tried to kill Logan, Toni had moved really fast. Maybe if she did that she’d be able to bypass the security cameras and search for Sydney? But would Frederica sense her and try and f
ight her?
There was only one way to find out.
Toni headed for the front gate, thinking about how she’d moved, how fast she’d gone. To her it had been as if everything had moved in slow motion. There was no way she’d miss any of her shots because her opponents were so slow they might as well have been sloths. That hadn’t been the part that freaked her out.
Nope. That had been when she walked through the dead bodies like a glow bug. Those her light touched disappeared, either to Helheim or Valhalla depending on the method of their death. There they would wait until the final battle, Ragnarrok, killing any who opposed them.
How the hell that was supposed to work, Toni wasn’t sure. Ragnarrok, in the legends, would destroy and then remake the world into a utopia under the rule of Baldur, but the prophesy Odin had given them was false. Did the dead still intend to rise again, fighting across the world? Or would Hel and her husband Hodr just visit Logan for tea and cakes? Hodr was technically dead, so would that count?
If the dead did rise, would it happen on Halloween, hiding the ghosts and zombies among trick-or-treaters?
Gah. It made her brain hurt thinking about it. She’d try to figure it out later. Right now she had her friend to find.
Calling on her new powers, Toni raced through the front gate and around the house, looking in each window as she went. If the cameras picked up anything it would be a blur. No doubt Frederica’s goons would figure it out quickly, but she didn’t have time to worry about that. They’d be after her soon enough, but the trick was to find Sydney and get to her car before they even left the house.
And just in case, she’d strapped on her guns after leaving the condo. She’d be ready if there was a fight.
She had to somehow get to the upper floors, and visit any interior rooms without windows. She got inside the house through the back door, which was unlocked. Apparently Frederica wasn’t expecting anyone to come at her or she’d have that puppy wired to blow the fuck up if anyone came through. Toni raced through the house, glancing through every door. She checked every bedroom, every bathroom, even the pantry. Hell, she went down into Frederica’s basement.
Nothing. No sign of Sydney anywhere.
She did, however, glimpse far more of Frederica’s lily-white ass than she ever wanted to. Ol’ Freddie was getting busy with Grimm’s brothers, Henry and Luther. She might have to stop for a quick puke in the bushes before she left.
Meanwhile, Nadine and Sonia, Frederica’s two Girl Fridays, were having tea. Nadine’s head was lifting just as Toni raced through, so she must have sensed Toni’s presence.
It was time to go. Sydney wasn’t here any longer. Toni would have to figure out where she’d gone and if she was still in danger or not.
Heading for the front gate, she stopped long enough to give the security camera the finger. She laughed as the back door banged shut. She was pretty sure that was from when she’d first entered the house.
She hopped in her car and took off, leaving Frederica to her coitus interruptus. No doubt Nadine or Sonia would inform her that Toni had been there looking for their missing guest.
Did Frederica have some place she could have stashed Sydney? If Toni remembered right, Frigg had her own palace in Asgard, but that might put Sydney too close to Grimm. Assuming that Grimm even wanted Sydney.
Gah. She’d stop off for a latte on the way home. She could use the shot of caffeine before her brain exploded.
Once she was away from the suburbs where Frederica lived she pulled over. She stared in her rearview mirror. “Nik.”
Nothing.
“Nik, I know you can hear me.”
Still nothing.
“Don’t make me find a rent-boy to get my bow-wow on with.”
“Don’t threaten me, Toni.”
She smiled smugly as silver eyes filled her rearview mirror. “You answered, didn’t you?”
The silver eyes started to fade.
“Sydney wasn’t there.”
For a moment nothing more happened. “Come home. We’ll discuss strategy when you get here.” Then the eyes disappeared.
“I’m getting a latte first!” she yelled before pulling back onto the road. She headed for the highway that would take her back to Center City, stopping at a Starbucks along the way because, hello, Starbucks! Mocha Frappuccino for the win!
A drink and a muffin later and she was ready to face the world again. Of course, she’d had her Frappuccino refilled before she left, so she was sipping happily as she drove on the highway when her phone rang. She popped the earpiece she kept in her passenger side cup holder into her ear and pressed the button. “Mancinelli.”
“Detective.”
Crap. Her boss. “Sir.”
“I understand you’re still on babysitting duty for Yardley-Rudiger.”
“Yes, sir.” Huh? Hadn’t he signed off on it? Travis had called in some favors to get her assigned to him for whatever the hell she’d been assigned for. No one had bothered to tell her, so she’d assumed it was to guard Sydney.
“How’s that going?”
This was…odd. Her boss never called her to check on a case. He always spoke to them in-office. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“What?”
“Answer a question. What’s my mother’s name?”
Silence.
“Try harder next time, Grimm.” She hung up and tugged out the earpiece. “Fuck.”
“Get home now.” Nik’s angry voice came from the speakers of her car, almost making her swerve.
She pulled off the highway. Not much longer until she was at the condos. “Stop possessing my car, Christine.”
He laughed, the sound somewhat tinny thanks to the speakers. “Smart ass.”
“Uh-huh.” She glanced behind her at the silver sedan one car behind her. “That car’s been following me since I left Starbucks.”
He growled. “You couldn’t have mentioned this earlier?” Before she could respond to his grumbled words he spoke again. “It’s Adam Grey.”
Adam Grey, Adam Grey. Which one was he again?
“Frey.”
Wow. Nik sounded pissed. “I gather he’s dangerous.”
“He’s off the juice and working for Odin willingly. You tell me.”
Shit and shineola. “I’m almost there. If I have to I’ll hit the sirens.”
“You do that.”
Toni took the corner so fast she wasn’t certain all her wheels were on the road. She kept an eye on the silver sedan on her bumper. Adam Grey wasn’t letting her get away.
That was all right. She had resources he didn’t.
Toni let go, activating her powers and praying to everyone she could think of, including Nik, that she’d survive this. Everything around her slowed, including the man behind her. God, she was like one of the brothers in the General Lee running from Roscoe P. Coltrane.
She barely managed not to hit a pedestrian, three poodles in rhinestone collars, and a double-parked Humvee before she got to the parking garage. She let the energy go, totally drained as she pulled into her parking spot. Apparently, using it twice in a row for that long a time was tiring. She’d take a nap later, when the coffee wore off.
It took a few sips of Frappuccino and a quiet freak-out before she could get out of the car, because holy shit she’d just outrun a fucking god.
Of course, another angry god was waiting for her upstairs. His rage practically vibrated through her entire body. Nik was going to hand her ass to her on a silver platter for leaving the safety of the condos.
She didn’t care. She now had information she hadn’t before. Somehow, Sydney had been moved from Frederica’s home to another location without their knowledge. She was almost certain that Frederica was the one who’d done it, but until she explored all avenues she wouldn’t be certain. With Adam on her tail it was possible that Grimm had Sydney and was hiding her somewhere Nik couldn’t find her.
She took the elevator to the magic floor, the one no other residents could g
et to. In fact, the elevator stopped at no other floors, allowing her a direct ride to her doom. She stepped off the elevator, clutching her Starbucks cup in front of her like a shield.
Nik was on the other side of the elevator doors with his arms crossed over his chest and a pissed look on his face. She flicked her straw at him, getting Frappuccino drops on his dress shirt. “I rebuke thee, Satan.”
His lips twitched, but that was the only hint of humor on his face. “Get to my condo, Toni.”
There was no way in hell she was going to tell him that the commanding tone of voice made her panties wet. She strode past him, her head held high, straw in one hand and melting Frappuccino in the other.
Nik reached around her to open the condo door. The moment she was through he grabbed her. Ready to attack, she held up the straw.
Only to have him kiss her stupid.
Chapter 4
Damn, she tasted good. Nik kicked the door shut behind him, ignoring the sound as it slammed. He was too busy savoring his first real taste of the woman he’d decided would be his. He licked at her lips, silently demanding she open for him, almost surprised when she did so with no protest.
She tasted like warmth and mocha Frappuccino and, underneath all of that, the unique taste of female. His female. He could stand there and kiss her until the sky fell and the moon burned and he’d never even notice. For the first time in his long existence, he couldn’t see anything besides the way her dark lashes fluttered over her gorgeous brown eyes. He couldn’t hear anything but the soft, almost silent sigh she emitted as she tilted her head ever so slightly to the left. He couldn’t feel anything but the way her hands gripped his biceps, her fingers digging in until he feared his skin would bruise.
Like he needed any reminder of how strong this woman was, both in mind and body. She’d proven that time and again. She had nothing more to prove, not to him or anyone else.
He tangled his fingers in her dark hair, tugging slightly to get her exactly where he wanted her. She grunted when he pushed her up against the door.
Maybe he could have been gentler, but she’d scared the shit out of him. Nik could no more stop himself than destroy Yggdrasil. It just wasn’t in him. He needed to reassure himself that she was there, in his arms, safe from Adam and Grimm.
Hide and Seek (True Destiny Book 6) Page 3
